'X  ^ 


United  Brethren 
In  Christ. 
Home  Missionary  Society 


Our  Spanish-American 
Work  in 


New  Mexico 


tihvavy  of  trKe  trheolo^ical  ^^mimvy 

PRINCETON  •  NEW  JERSEY 


•a^D* 


PRESENTED  BY 

Rufus  H.   LeFevre 


mv 


•pantBlf-Ammran 


Hork  in  Nrui  fflexiro 


Our  Workers 


The  United  Brethren  Home  Missionary  Society 
Dayton,   Ohio 


^ 


OUR 


l-hb  11  1953 


Spanish -American  Work 


IN 


New  Mexico 


Its  Origin 

lb  Nature 

Reasons  for  the  Work 

Achievements  Past  Quadrennium 

Our  Policy 

Our  Future  Needs 

Ways  to  Assist  the  Work 


HOME  MISSIONARY  OFFICE 

Otterbein    Press  Building 

Dayton,   Ohio 

1921 


dI'' 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2009  with  funding  from 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


http://www.archive.org/details/ourspanishamericOOunit 


OUR  SPANISH -AMERICAN  WORK 


So  many  people  wonder  why  we,  as  a  denomination,  are 
giving  attention  to  school  work  in  New  Mexico. 

This  little  booklet  is  intended  to  answer  the  above  eiuery 
and  at  the  same  time  to  make  plain  to  our  denomination  why 
our  Home  Mission  Society  entered  upon  this  work;  what  we 
are  doing,  and  what  the  needs  are  for  future  success. 

ITS  ORIGIN 

Our  Spanish-American  work  in  New  Mexico  was  begun 
at  Velarde,  October  12,  1912.  This  is  the  day  that  Miss 
Mellie  Perkins,  the  originator  and  pioneer  of  our  Spanish- 
American  work,  landed  at  Velarde,  New  Mexico.  We  regret 
that  we  do  not  have  space  to  print  her  first  impressions  and 
early  experiences  as  she  entered  upon  this  work,  so  tar  from 
home  and  among  not  only  foreigners  but  almost  heathen. 

Miss  Perkins  organized  our  work  here  amid  many  hard- 
ships and  difficulties,  and  had  charge  of  the  work  till  l'.)15, 
when  she  placed  it  in  others'  hands,  while  she  herself  went 
about  eighteen  miles  further  down  the  Rio  Grande  river 
toward  Santa  Fc,  the  capital  of  the  State,  and  opened  another 
school  at  Santa  Cruz. 

In  the  summer  of  HUT,  a  third  school  was  opened  at  Al- 
calde, about  half  wa\    l)etween  Santa  Cruz  and  Velarde. 

ITS  NATURE 

There  are  several  phases  to  our  Spanish-American  work 
in  New  Mexico.  In  the  first  place,  we  have  standard  schools, 
according  to  the  highest  standard  prescribed  by  the  State. 
We  complete  grade  school  work  and  prepare  the  pupils  for 
first-class  high   school  work. 


Another  phase  of  the  \v(jrk  is  the  religious.  Not  only  is 
there  daily  worship  in  the  schools,  but  reading  and  study  of 
the  Scripture.  Then  the  boys  and  girls  are  urged  to  attend 
our  Bible  school  and  worshij:)  on  the  Sabbath.  Much  is  made 
of  Christian  Endea\or  among  the  young  people.  A  regular 
pastor  is  maintained  for  the  three  schools  and  regular  preach- 
ing services  are  maintained.  At  Siinta  Cruz,  we  ha\'e  a  reg- 
ular organized  church. 

At  Velarde  and  Alcalde  we  have  but  plaza  schools.  The 
children  come  from  their  own  homes  each  day  and  return  in 
the  e\ening. 

At  Santa  Cruz  we  maintain  both  a  plaza  and  boarding 
school.  The  boarding  pupils  come  to  us  in  the  fall  and  stay 
till  school  closes  in  the  spring.  It  is  in  this  work  that  the 
greatest  results  are  achieved,  as  here  we  have  both  the  boys 
and    girls    under   our    complete    supervision. 

The  boys  are  homed  in  the  bo\'s'  dormitory  and  are  under 
the  direct  super\ision  of  the  pastor  and  his  wife,  while  the 
girls  are  homed  in  the  girls'  dormitor)-  under  the  super\ision 
of  three  matrons. 

Besides  the  school  and  church  work,  the  girls  are  taught 
American  cooking,  housekeeping,  plain  sewing,  needle  work, 
and  music.  The  boys  are  taught  such  home  and  out-door 
work  as  our  present  facilities  afford.  We  hope  the  time  will 
soon  come  when  modern  methods  in  both  garden  and  fruit 
growing  can  be  taught. 

REASONS  FOR  THE  WORK 

A  few  people  in  the  Church  ha\c  criticized  the  Home 
Board  for  going  into  this  work,  on  the  ground  that  the  Span- 
ish-Americans are  imbedded  in  another  religion.  On  this 
ground,  practically  all  our  foreign  missionaries  would  have 
to  be  called  home.  This  criticism  comes  from  the  same  kind 
of  a  spirit  that  criticized  Christ  for  taking  the  gospel  to  the 
publicans  and  Samaritans. 


C 

o 


Let  us  look  at  this  Spanish-American  question  from  sev- 
eral viewpoints.  The  Spanish  tongue  is  the  largest  in  the 
world  today.  The  Spanish-Americans  are  spreading  over 
the  Southwest  and  Central  West  states  at  an  alarming  rate. 
They  are  ignorant  both  of  Christianity  and  the  basic  prin- 
ciples of  our  national  life.  .\  Republic  like  America  can  be 
secure  and  promoted  onl\-  b\  the  voluntary  acts  and  good 
will  of  its  people.  The  injection  of  the  un-American  spirit 
of  the  millions  of  aliens  and  Spanish  people  into  our  Ameri- 
can life  must  stagger,  if  not  eventually  overthrow,  the  basic 
principles  of  our  national  life.  The  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ, 
through  the  Protestant  Church  of  America,  is  the  only  remedy 
tor  these  undermining  forces.  The  public  schools  of  the 
rural  sections  of  New  Mexico  are  wretchedly  deficient;  so 
that  dense  ignorance  prevails  in  all  that  country-  among  the 
Spanish   people. 

It  is  impossible  to  promote  the  true  Christian  religion 
where  such  dense  ignorance  and  superstition  prevails. 

No  one,  not  having  visited  that  country  can  form  any 
conception  of  the  poverty,  ignorance,  superstition  and  deg- 
radation of  those  Spanish  people  in  the  Southwest.  And 
so  long  as  the  federal  government  does  not  step  in  there  and 
provide  a  standard  public  school  system  with  standard  and 
efficient  teachers,  the  only  thing  for  the  Protestant  churches 
to  do,  in  order  to  promote  the  Christian  religion  among  this 
people,  is  to  maintain  standard  schools  of  their  own,  which 
all  the  denominations  are  doing  that  are  promoting  home 
mission   work   among   the   Spanish-American   people. 

So  our  Spanish-American  work  is  necessary,  not  only 
from  the  viewpoint  of  our  national  welfare,  but  from  the 
viewpoint  of  the  evangelization  and  Christianization  of  this 
e\er-increasing  Spanish-American  people,  who  are  becoming 
an  organic  part  of  our  nationality  and  civilization.  'Tis 
true  the  Christian  religion  will  never  make  all  the  people  of 
America  of  one  blood,  but  it  can  make  them  of  one  mind, 
and  that  the  mind  of  Jesus  Christ,  whose  life  and  spirit  alone 
can  make  us  all  ot  one  purpose,  mind,  and  kingdom. 


Man>-  more  reasons  could  be  Ki\en:  but  we  trust  that 
the  above  is  sufficient  to  make  plain  to  an\  why  we  are  pro- 
moting this  Spanish-American  work  in   New  Mexico. 

ACHIEVEMENTS  THE  PAST  QUADRENNIUM 

No  department  of  our  home  mission  work  has  given  the 
Home  Office  so  much  concern  and  anxiet\"  as  our  Sjxinish- 
American  work. 

The  work,  four  \ears  ago,  was  just  in  its  infancy,  and 
indeed  still  is.  But  from  the  beginning  of  our  connection 
with  the  work,  it  seemed  apparent  that  it  needed  reorganiza- 
tion under  a  well-defined  polic\'  with  some  specific  goals. 
Information  was  gathered  from  many  sources.  Much  time 
was  given  to  prayer  for  proper  guidance  in  a  sane,  practical 
and  possible  course.  I'nder  these  impulses  we  tried  to  grap- 
ple with  the  task.  Many  good  plans  presented  themselves, 
but  resources  and  maintenance  staggered  us  at  many  points. 
We  needed  a  practical,  possible  policy.  We  needed  equip- 
ment. We  needed  resources  and  maintenance;  we  needed 
workers  and  friends  for  the  cause.  But  we  held  steady  to 
the  needs  and  claims;  and  the  close  of  the  quadrennium, 
May  1,  1921,  finds  our  Spanish-American  work  taking  on  a 
definite  form  with  a  fixed  goal,  and  with  both  equipment 
and  resources  sufficient  to  do  efficient  work  for  the  kingdom 
at  least  on  a  small  scale. 

Our  equipment  is  not  ideal,  but  adequate  to  demonstrate 
to  the  denomination  the  real  needs  and  fruit  of  such  work. 

During  the  quadrennium  our  work  at  Alcalde,  a  purely 
Spanish  town,  was  opened.  Our  boarding-school  work  has 
been  consolidated  at  Santa  Cruz.  A  large,  commodious  girls' 
dormitory,  that  will  home  from  se\-enty-five  to  a  hundred 
girls,  was  completed  in  .August,  n»2().  An  electric  plant 
was  installed  to  light  all  three  of  our  buildings  at  Santa  Ouz. 
The  Edith  McCiirdy  Home  was  converted  into  a  boys'  dor- 
mitor\-.  .A  large  school  room  was  pro\  ided  in  the  basement 
of  the  girls'  dormitorx'  for  the  opening  of  a  two  years'  normal 


10 


course  in  the  near  future.     This  will  open  the  way  for  the 
preparation  of  efficient   teachers  for   that  entire  section. 

In  November,  1920,  a  large,  commodious  school  building 
was  completed  at  Alcalde.  A  beautiful  five-acre  plat  was 
donated  to  the  Home  Society  by  Mr.  Borah,  of  Colorado 
Springs,  Colorado.  The  building  contains  two  well-equipped 
modern  school  rooms;  a  cozy  four-room  apartment  for  the 
teachers;  a  large  basement  with  hot-air  furnace  to  heat  the 
entire  building;  a  good  sanitary  well,  con\enient  to  teachers' 
apartment. 

At  Velarde,  additional  property  was  purchased  south  of 
our  teachers'  home  so  as  to  safeguard  the  best  interests  ot 
our  work  there. 

The  total  \aluation  of  our  three  mission  properties  is 
about  S50,00(). 

At  present  there  are  eleven  in  our  staff  of  workers.  Six 
teachers,  four  matrons  and  a  pastor.  Arrangements  have 
already  been  completed  for  a  general  superintendent  of  our 
work  whose  dut>-  will  be  to  superintend  the  New  Mexico 
conference,  have  general  supervision  over  our  three  schools 
and  act  as  pastor  for  the  Santa  Cruz  charge. 

There  is  now  a  combined  enrollment  in  the  three  schools 
of   about    two   hundred. 

At  Santa  Cruz  we  also  have  a  church  organization  with 
a    membership    of    forty-four. 

OUR  POLICY 

In  framing  a  i)olic>-  for  our  Spanish-American  work,  a 
number  of  facts  had  to  be  kept  in  mind.  One  was  that  the 
Catholic  Church  has  held  almost  absolute  sway  in  that  coun- 
try   for    many    centuries. 

Another  was,  that  we,  as  a  denomination,  had  \vr\  limit- 
ed means  for  such  a  task  and  that  we,  as  a  church,  had  still 
less  knowledge  than  means  of  the  real  needs  of  that  work. 

11 


And  most  of  all,  we  were  confronted  with  the  fact  that,  in 
both  means  and  numbers,  the  growth  to  the  denomination 
would  be  extremely  slow. 

In  the  face  of  these  three  facts  we  tried  to  make  a  careful 
study  of  the  whole  situation,  and  then  to  settle  on  some  def- 
inite course.  Many  changes  may  yet  have  to  be  made;  but 
the  following  are  some  of  the  rules  that  we  have  been  trying 
to  incorporate  into  a  policy  for  our  Spanish-American  work: 

First — That  there  must  be  no  antagonism,  in  any  way, 
to  any  existing  religion  about  us.  That  if  we  cannot  convince 
by  education,  training,  and  the  teaching  of  the  gospel  of  Christ 
and  Christian  example  that  our  claims  are  better,  then  we 
must  fail. 

Second — That  we  must  keep  in  mind  the  denomination's 
very  limited  quota  to  Home  Missions.  That  while  we  hope 
to  do  a  creditable  share  in  the  great  Spanish-American  field, 
we  must  not  allow  that  to  hinder  our  Conference  Extension, 
Frontier  and  Special  City  Mission  Work.  Some  think  that 
w^e  ought  to  pay  better  salaries,  put  in  more  convenient  equip- 
ment and  enlarge  beyond  what  we  have.  All  these  things 
are  desirable,  but  until  the  denomination  grows  up  to  a  larger 
support  for  Home  Missions  and  particularly  our  Spanish- 
American  work,  we  must  be  content  with  what  we  have. 

Third — That  for  several  reasons,  we  have  fixed,  as  a  pol- 
icy, a  certain  nominal  sum  to  be  paid  by  each  one  seeking  the 
privileges  of  our  schools.  It  teaches  them  the  value  of  such 
privileges  and  the  necessity  of  a  loyal  support  of  all  welfare 
work  for  the  betterment  of  their  own  condition.  Again, 
it  makes  the  pupils  themselves  more  punctual  and  attentive 
to  their  school  work.  While  we  ask  a  fee  of  but  twenty-five 
cents  per  month  for  plaza  pupils  and  a  fee  of  fifty  dollars 
for  each  pupil  that  is  fed  and  homed  the  entire  school  year, 
yet  it  means  considerable  toward  the  current  expense  of  the 
school. 

Fourth — It  is  the  policy  of  the  school,  in  every  phase  of 
the  work,  to  instil  real  Christian  principles  into  the  minds 

IJ 


1.^ 


of  all  the  pupils,  to  give  them  a  higher  standard  of  morality, 
inspire  a  higher  standard  of  home  life,  teach  the  dignity  of 
labor  and  a  common  brotherhood.  In  fact  one  of  the  great- 
est tasks  in  the  entire  work  is  that  of  disciplining  the  minds 
and  conduct  of  those  crude  children  whose  genealogy  for 
many  generations  has  been  little  above  animal  instinct  and 
passion. 

OUR  FUTURE  NEEDS 

We  have  already  mentioned  the  fact  that  our  Spanish- 
American  work  is  yet  in  its  infancy. 

And  while  we  consider  that  we  now  have  creditable  build- 
ings and  equipment,  yet  as  we  look  into  the  work  as  it  is,  we 
discover  many  and  great  needs  for  the  future.  The  follow- 
ing are  some  of  the  most  important  that  will  have  to  be  met 
within    a    number    of   years: 

1 — An  adequate  water  system  at  Santa  Cruz.  This  will 
probably  imply  a  sewerage  system  of  a  mile  and  a  half,  and 
will  ha\'e  to  be  laid  underneath  two  irrigating  ditches.  It 
will  require  an  outdoor  ele\'ated  tank  sufficient  to  supply 
the  three  buildings.  Another  well  will  need  to  be  put  down 
equipped  with  gas  engine  and  building  suitable  for  operating 
the  same.  A  complete  system  of  plumbing  will  have  to  be 
installed  for  fire  protection,  domestic  use,  laundry  and  bath. 
It  is  evident  that  it  will  cost  many  thousand  dollars  to  install 
this,   our   greatest    need,   just   now. 

2 — Our  boys'  dormitory  is  entirely  inadequate,  and  not 
very  well  adapted  to  the  work.  However,  it  needs  enlarging 
and   changing  in  a  number  of  ways. 

First,  it  should  be  enlarged  so  as  to  accommodate  at  least 
fifty  boys.  This  calls  for  considerable  more  dormitory  and 
study  room.  Another  stairway  will  have  to  be  built  in  so  as 
to  admit  the  boys  to  their  dormitory  quarters  from  their 
own  apartments  instead  of  having  to  go  through  the  pastor's 
apartments. 

14 


In  addition  to  tlu'sr  enlargements,  we  need  a  small  tract 
of  land  l>ing  just  south  of  our  property  as  a  phu'ground  for 
the  hoNs,  part  of  which  can  ver\'  niceh'  be  set  apart  for  cem- 
etery purposes. 

3 — Two  more  departments  should  he  added  to  our  school 
work.  One  is,  a  two  years'  normal  course  tor  our  grade 
graduates  and  such  others  as  might  want  to  come  in  from 
outside  schools  to  prepare  themselves  for  teaching  and  com- 
mercial life.  Nothing  would  so  rapidly  improve  the  moral 
and  religious  conditions  in  that  section  as  to  have  those  young 
people,  who  come  up  through  our  schools  after  taking  a  nor- 
mal training,  go  out  ox'er  that  country  and  establish  stan- 
dard ptiblic  schools,  thus,  not  only  giving  a  higher  standard 
of  education,  l)ut  a  higher  standard  of  morals  as  well. 

Right  in  this  line  also  we  are  hoping  that  as  our  l:)o\s  and 
girls  complete  their  work  and  go  out  into  life,  they  will  also 
set  up  higher  standards  of  home  life,  thus  instilling  new 
ideals    for   all    the    people. 

The  other  department  that  is  much  needed  is  Manual 
and  Industrial  Training  for  the  boys.  In  connection  with 
their  school  work  nothing  would  be  more  helpful  to  those 
boys  than  to  be  taught  how  to  make  and  do  things.  How 
different  that  country  would  become  if  those  boys  were  gi\en 
higher  ideas  of  home  construction  and  making.  The  mater- 
ial is  there,  it  simply  needs  minds  to  construct. 

The  same  is  true  in  reference  to  indtistries  and  farming. 
What  could  be  made  out  of  that  countr>-  if  the  people  were 
onh'  aroused  and  trained  to  the  tasks  and  possibilities! 

4 — Another  need  calling  right  now  is  the  repairing  and 
remodeling  of  our  buildings  at  \'elarde.  While  our  buildings 
here  are  comfortable  enough  with  a  little  repair,  they  are  ilh' 
adapted  for  the  work  in  hand.  What  is  really  needed  is  the 
remodeling  of  the  present  chapel  so  as  to  give  us  two  modern 
school    rooms,    thoroughh'    ecjuipped. 

As  it  is  now,  tiie  lower  grades  mtist  be  taken  into  a  large 

15 


Transporting  children  to    the    Santa  Cruz  School   from  Espanola. 

The  Crown  Drill  at  the  dedication  of  the  Girls'  Dormitory. 

A  typical  Indian  or  Mexican  Corral. 


16 


room  of  the  teachers'  home,  which  is  neither  large  enough 
nor  adapted  to  school  work.  Besides  the  room  in  the  home 
could  be  well  used  for  social  and  other  purposes.  Then  the 
home  needs  other  repairs,  such  as  new  floors,  some  interior 
conveniences,  a  front  and  rear  veranda,  a  deep  sanitary  well, 
a  double  garage  for  use  of  teachers  and  superintendent.  Some 
drainage  system  must  be  installed,  if  possible,  to  carry  oft 
the   surface  water  at   times. 

o — We  imagine  that  some  readers,  long  before  they  come 
to  this  place,  are  asking,  where  will  the  means  come  from.-' 
Possibly  a  word  concerning  the  past  will  assist  us  for  the 
future.  The  girls'  new  dormitory  at  Santa  Cruz  and  the 
school  building  at  Alcalde,  both  of  which  were  finished  in 
1920,  cost  completed, — buildings,  ground,  equipments  and 
furnishings, — in  round  numbers,  $33,000,  all  paid. 

The  means  for  the  Alcalde  building  were  given  by  the 
Otterbein  Guild  and  W.M.A.  The  means  for  the  girls' 
dormitory  at  Santa  Cruz  was  put  into  the  United  Enlistment 
askings.  The  running  expense  for  the  three  schools  the  past 
year,  including  the  salary  of  teachers,  pastor,  matrons  and 
current  expense,  approximated  $12,000.  The  future  will 
call  for  probably  the  same  amount  for  running  expense.  A 
very  rough  estimate  for  installing  a  complete  water  system, 
enlarging  the  boys'  dormitory  and  making  the  necessary 
improvements  at  Velarde  may  be  put  at  from  $15,000  to 
.s2(),00(). 

WAYS  TO  ASSIST  THE  WORK 

We  have  now  made  our  Spanish-American  work  a  distinct 
department    of   our    home    mission    work. 

As  such  we  are  ready  to  receive  special  gifts  from  an> one 
who  has  an  interest  in  that  work.  Five  hundred  dollars 
provides  the  support  for  a  teacher  or  matron  for  one  year. 
Fifty  dollars  provides  the  boarding  for  a  boy  or  girl  for  a 
school  year.     One  of  our  largest  current  l)ills  is  our  light  and 

17 


fuel  for  all  the  buildings.     The  winters  are  not  so  long,  but 
because  of  the  high  altitude,  are  rather  severe  at  times. 

How  many  individuals  or  organizations  could  support 
one  of  these  interests  and  get  real  blessings  out  of  it! 

The  Church  has  been  very  liberal  in  donat'ng  furnishing 
and  bedding.  We  cannot  tell  you  how  much  these  gifts  are 
appreciated  and  hope  they  will  be  continued.  For  as  the 
work  enlarges  it  will  constantly  call  for  more  such  donations, 
besides  what  it  will  take  to  replace  the  worn-out  household 
equipment. 

xA.nother  way  by  which  you  can  assist  this  noble  work  is 
by  endowment  and  annuity  gifts.  Money  that  can  be  loaned 
out  on  first  mortgage  security,  the  interest  of  which  will  go  to 
the  permanent  upkeep  of  the  buildings,  furnishings,  etc.  The 
interest  of  a  $100,000  permanent  fund  would  amply  provide 
this    expense    for    the    future. 

Thus,  my  dear  reader,  through  this  little  booklet,  the 
Home  Mission  Society  comes  to  you  asking  for  an  offering  of 
prayer,  kind  words,  interest,  means  and  whatever  else  you  are 
prompted  to  do  for  these  downtrodden  people  living  under 
the  Stars  and  Stripes.  We  have  tried  to  make  the  message 
brief  and  interesting,  that  in  one  hour  leisure  you  might  be- 
come intelligent  on  this  most  needy  department  of  our  home 
mission  work. 

May  God  bless  the  message  and  the  reader. 


18 


OUR  SPANISH-AMERICAN  WORKERS 

1920     1921 

Pastor  Santa  Cruz  Charge  and  Superintendent  of  our  School 
Work— Rev.  J.  R.  Overmiller,  Santa  Cruz,  N.  M. 

Teachers — 

Miss  LilHan  Kcndig,  Santa  Cruz,  N.  M. 
Miss  Ruth  Smith,  Santa  Cruz,  N.  M. 
Miss  Mary  Breiwner,  Velarde,  N.  M. 
Miss  Anna  Hardy,  Velarde,  N.  M. 
Miss  Bertha  Wohlhieter,  Alcalde,  N.  M. 
Miss  Lulu  Clippinger,  Alcalde,  N.  M. 

Matrons — 

Girls'  Dormitory 

Miss  Bessie  Willhide,  Santa  Cruz,  N.  M. 
Miss  Matie  Watts,  Santa  Cruz,  N.  M. 
Miss  Sara  Emrick,  Santa  Cruz,  N.  M. 

Boys'  Dormitory 

Mrs.  J.  R.  Overmiller,  Santa  Cruz,  N.  M. 


19 


'm, 


BX9878.76  .A373 

Our  Spanish-American  work  in  New 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00045  7905 


